• • •

Valley of the Flowers Peace Prize

• • •

The Lompoc Peace Prize

Each year the Valley of the Flowers United Church of Christ (VOTF UCC) recognizes people in Lompoc who have had a really positive impact on our community, doing things that inspire peace, harmony and understanding.  The annual celebration of these everyday saints gets wide coverage in our city and we host, at our church, a special event where we give the Peace Prize to the person our Peace Prize Committee has decided is the most worthy person in the community to receive this prize.  We also honor those nominated individuals who are the runners-up in the selection process.

What is the Peace Prize and who designed it?
Victoria McReynolds, Lompoc High School class of 1997 and her associate, ceramicist Brian Widmaier, designed the prize, which is shown on the right.  It is 24″ x 8″ x 4″ and is made of black oak, copper and ceramic.

Who is eligible to receive the Lompoc Peace Prize?
The person will have contributed in significant ways to promote peaceful connections, unity and goodwill in the Lompoc community.  They can be nominated by an individual, organization, or the Peace Prize Committee.

What information must the nominating person or group provide?
They must complete a nomination form and return it to the VOTF UCC. There are currently four ways to accomplish this:

  1. Using the QR code reader on your phone, read the QR code on the left of this webpage; fill out the form with the nomination data, then left-click the ‘Submit’ button at the bottom of the form.
  2. Left-click on the URL below to access the nomination form, type the pertinent information into the data fields, and left-click the ‘Submit’ button at the bottom of the form:  The_Lompoc_Peace_Prize_Nomination_Form
  3. Type up the answers to the nomination form on your computer or into the fillable downloadable .pdf (Adobe Acrobat file) here: Downloadable_Fillable_Peace_Prize_Nomination_Form, save your submission form as a .pdf (Adobe Acrobat file), and send it as an attachment to an email to: thelomopocpeaceprize@gmail.com.
  4. Fill out the form manually, or type and/or print the nomination information onto the form, and mail the printed/filled out nomination form to: Peace Prize, Valley of the Flowers UCC, 3346 Constellation Road, Lompoc CA 93436.

You can contact the Peace Prize Committee by phone at (805) 743-3525; please be prepared to leave a message, and the Peace Prize Committee will get back to you as soon as possible.

Who can nominate someone for the Peace Prize?
Any individual or organization in the Lompoc Valley.  You cannot nominate yourself.  The Peace Prize Committee will keep the identity of nominators anonymous.

Does the recipient keep the prize?
Yes, for one year.  The honoree’s name will be engraved on the award, and the prize will be re-awarded the following year.

Who decides who will be the Peace Prize recipient?
A committee of members of the VOTF UCC congregation, as well as several representatives from various sectors of the Lompoc community.

What is the timeframe for nominating someone, and when is the Peace Prize awarded?
Nominations open September 15, 2024, and close November 15, 2024.  The Peace Prize will be awarded in March 2025 at a celebration event at the VOTF UCC church in Vandenberg Village.

What is the origin of the Lompoc Peace Prize?
A “brainstorming” session occurred at the VOTF UCC in 2009.  It was approved as the Lompoc Peace Prize by the church council in February 2010.  After Victoria and Brian created the actual Peace Prize, it was formally dedicated at morning worship on August 8th, 2010.  The first Peace Prize was awarded at an event at the church in 2011.